Battle of Dreux

The Battle of Dreux was the first battle of the French Wars of Religion, fought on 19 December 1562. The battle was a Catholic victory, although the commanders of both sides, the Royalist general Anne de Montmorency and the Huguenot leader Prince de Conde, were captured.

Background
At the start of the French Wars of Religion in 1562, the Huguenot stronghold at Rouen was besieged by the Catholic French Royal Army, forcing the Protestant leader Louis I of Bourbon, Prince de Conde to march north with an army of 8,500 infantry and 4,500 cavalry. The Huguenot army faced the Catholic royal army on the road to Normandy at Dreux, and both sides were surprised to encounter each other. The Royalist general Anne de Montmorency was so shocked that he did not attack for two hours, and the two sides formed their battle positions despite being reluctant to fight against their friends and brothers on the other side.

Battle
The battle began when the Huguenot cavalry routed the left wing of the Catholic army in a powerful charge, but the Swiss Pikemen held the center of the Royalist line despite suffering heavy casualties. Much of the Protestant cavalry pursued the Royalists back to their baggage train, which they then proceeded to loot. Meanwhile, the Swiss held off repeated cavalry and Landsknecht attacks before being routed by a fresh Huguenot gendarme charge, and more Protestant cavalry then moved on to loot the Catholic baggage train. However, this left the Protestant infantry unsupported, and Francis, Duke of Guise advanced with his fresh troops and routed the Huguenot Landsknecht mercenaries. The remaining Protestant cavalry retreated in good order, but Conde was captured during the Royalist pursuit. Gaspard II de Coligny led a spirited counterattack, but it was held back by the Royalists, and Coligny ordered a retreat, leaving the field in Catholic hands.

Aftermath
The Battle of Dreux was one of the bloodiest battles of the period, as 10,000 of the 30,000 combatants at Dreux were killed or wounded. The Catholics took seven weeks to initiate their siege of the Protestant stronghold of Orleans (during which Guise was assassinated), and the Protestants succeeded in lifting the siege and reinforcing their bases in northern France. Two months later, Queen Mother Catherine de Medici arranged a truce between the Catholics and Protestants.